Pneumatic Tires
Most tires used in modern times are considered to be pneumatic tires. The utilization of rubber in tires enabled the invention of pneumatic tires which allowed for a more comfy ride. The contemporary transportation system of the world depends entirely on pneumatic tires.
The pneumatic tire is a durable rubber tire and is then compressed with air. Motorized vehicles like airplanes, motorcycles, buses, cars and trucks all use pneumatic tires. Non-motorized wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, also use pneumatic tires.
History
The history of tires starts with the invention of iron bands around wooden wheels. The utilization of solid rubber in the construction of tires began during the middle part of the 19th century. The first patent for a successful pneumatic tire was issued in the year 1888 to Irishman John Dunlop who created an inner-tube for a bicycle tire in the year 1888. This was when the word "pneumatic" started to describe tires.
In the year 1895, Edouard and Andre Michelin produced the first pneumatic tires for automobiles in France. The company of the Michelin brothers was destined to become a top manufacturer of car tires. The first United States company to produce tires was Goodyear Tire company founded in the year 1898, followed by the Firestone Tire & Rubber company in 1900, the second company in the US to produce tires.
Function
A rubber inner tube was used in all pneumatic tires during the first half of the 20th century to be able help hold the air pressure. Tires were made of toughened layers of cord or plies covered with rubber. The plies were laid on a bias or angle to define the shape of the tire and strengthen it. These "bias ply" tires had a tread pattern for traction.
Modern radial tires are constructed with the plies running at 90 degrees across the body of the tire. Inner tube is not necessary as the tire forms an airtight seal with the wheel. This was the Michelin's brother's creation in 1948. The tires did not become commonly utilized until the latter parts of the 1970s. Radial tires provide better fuel economy and last longer.